Thread by @CroakeyNews

Joining in to @thevalsmob prison healthcare webinar, from Kaurna country.

#unlockingVictorianjustice

https://twitter.com/thevalsmob/status/1640886217423339520

.@Sarah__Schwartz and @MegBastard are up first with a pre-recorded discussion on #UnlockingVictorianJustice

"Cultural safety cannot occur without clinical care, and clinical care cannot occur without cultural safety" – @MegBastard

People in prison should have access to the same health care that members of general community have, which they currently don't have – @MegBastard
#UnlockingVictorianJustice

@MegBastard Strong calls by @MegBastard for all listeners to keep engaged and "scrutiny radar" going for justice and access to health in prison

#UnlockingVictorianJustice

ACCHOs are well-placed to provide health & social care and services to people in prisons as they have strong connections to community, & model of care has culturally embedded throughout their services.

"No private provider can do that" – Jill Gallagher AO, CEO of @VACCHO_org

Gallagher says some of the recommendations from the review into the culture of adult correctional services are easy to implement
@VACCHO_org
#UnlockingVictorianJustice

corrections.vic.gov.au/cultural-review

Maybe part of the recommendations should be to include "humanity" as a course for people who work in prisons...because in the case of Veronica Nelson, "she was denied her humanity" – Gallagher suggests @VACCHO_org
#UnlockingVictorianJustice

What is culturally safe healthcare?

Julie Tongs OAM, CEO of Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health and Community Services says they have nurses working in prisons 365 days a year, as well as an Aboriginal cultural support worker in prisons.

#UnlockingVictorianJustice

"It's a very punitive environment and it is about power and control"

"Our intention was to provide the care that we provide on the outside to the men and women on the inside" – Tongs

#UnlockingVictorianJustice

"It's not a competition, it's about providing the right healthcare at the right time to our men and women who are incarcerated. We could do a lot more, but we get a lot of push back" – Tongs

#UnlockingVictorianJustice

"We want people to come out of prison in a better place and state of mind than when they went in" – Tongs

But they're treated so badly, this doesn't happen.

#UnlockingVictorianJustice

"Poverty and homelessness are two of the biggest drivers for more and more of our people being incarcerated" – Tongs

#UnlockingVictorianJustice

If external services like mental health, drug & alcohol rehab, housing, ways to alleviate poverty were improved, "we could prevent people from ending up on the inside" – Tongs

#UnlockingVictorianJustice

@threadreaderapp unroll pls